Melvin Lee Greenwood[1] (born October 27, 1942) is an American country music artist. Active since 1962, he has released more than 20 major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts.

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Greenwood was born in Los Angeles, California. After the separation of his parents, he grew up near Sacramento[2] on the poultry farm of his maternal grandparents. At the age of seven, he started singing in church. In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television appearance. A short time later, he worked with the country musician Del Reeves.

He founded his first band, The Apollos, in 1962. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music and appeared mostly in casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada. A few records were recorded in Los Angeles with the Paramount label. After the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a blackjack dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.

The first single, the Jan Crutchfield-penned "It Turns Me Inside Out", made it to a spot in the top 20 of the country charts. The song had been written for Kenny Rogers, but Rogers turned it down due to the sheer volume of songs he had been offered at the time. "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" landed him in the country top 10. Each song was marketed heavily, particularly in the South Florida market by MCA Account Service Representative Brad Fitzgerald, among others.

He is known for writing and recording "God Bless the USA" in the early 1980s. The song gained renewed popularity following the launch of Operation: Desert Storm in 1991, and again, 10 years later, following the September 11, 2001 attacks. In fact, "God Bless the USA" re-entered the top 20 of the country charts in late 2001. Since then, Greenwood has played at many public events and commemorations of the attacks.

In 1995, Greenwood took a break from his touring schedule to spend time with his wife and newborn son. In his time off, he elected to build a theater in Sevierville, Tennessee, and in April 1996, the Lee Greenwood Theater opened its doors. This gave Greenwood the opportunity to perform daily shows, in addition to being with his family. The theater operated for five seasons, and closed for Greenwood to continue touring. The former theater building is host to a church.